Sunday, May 27, 2018

Putin is Consistent but the West isn’t, Portnikov Says

Paul
Goble

Staunton, May 27 – At the very
moment that the international investigation of the downing of the Malaysian
jetliner concluded that Moscow was behind that terrorist act, Western leaders
and businessmen were in St. Petersburg to cozy up with Vladimir Putin and to
try to make deals to enrich themselves, Vitaly Portnikov observes.

Indeed, at his press conference with
French President Emmanuel Macron, Putin was even asked about the report and of
course as is his custom acted as if he knew nothing about the downing of the Malaysian
plane, a statement that was enough for useful idiots in the West to argue that
he wasn’t involved.

“The West can’t act without
following procedures. Its jurists were forced to investigation the destruction of
the jet and sooner or later they had to declare the names of the gulty in this
crime and the threads led to Putin and his closest entourage.Its politicians couldn’t close their eyes to
the violation by the Putin regime of international law,” the Ukrainian
commentator says.

Moreover, they “mustn’t forget about
Crimea or the Donbass or the crimes in Syria.” But “of course,” he continues, “there
are businessmen who want simply to make money in Russia” and “there are voters
who are interested only in their own wellbeing” and are only shaken out of
their lethargy by pictures of “the latest child killed in Syria.”

Given this environment, Portnikov
says, “Western politicians all the same continue their attempts to reach
agreement with Putin. With each passing day of his rule, the Russian president
becomes ever more ‘toxic’ and far from an understanding of reality. But they
all go [to Russia to see him], now Merkel, now Macron, now someone else.”

“What are they hoping for?”That Putin will want to be like “one of them”?
But Putin considers himself the equal of the US president and looks down on all
the rest.But “nevertheless, this marching
in circles continues.” However, it is important to call this by its proper
name: “This isn’t politics; this is the imitation of activity.”

Portnikov argues that “it will be
possible to negotiate with Putin only after his country will be completely
isolated from the world economy, after oligarchs from Abramovich to Fridman
will be blocked from entering all Western countries and from using the services
of all Western banks, including Swiss and Israeli, and Putin himself together with
his closest comrades in arms will be condemned in absentia for destroying the
Malaysian Boeing.”

“Only then,” he says, “can Trump,
Macron or Merkel expect thathe will
call them with constructive proposals and even then not immediately.For the time being, he will simply give his
guests flowers, take them to the theater and wipe their feet” because they will
do be doing him an invaluable service as far as the Kremlin leader is
concerned.

These Western leaders will be making
their contribution to “the inadequate picture of the world” inside of Putin’s
head that is the basis for his continuing aggression.